JAMB Debunks Viral UTME Location Rumor: Candidates Free to Choose Exam Town Anywhere in Nigeria

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially debunked a widely circulated report claiming that candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are restricted to taking the exam only within their state of registration.

In a clarifying statement issued by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, the Board emphasized that candidates have full freedom to register and sit for the UTME in any town across the country, irrespective of where they initially registered.

“The claim being circulated, especially by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is misleading and false,” Dr. Benjamin stated. “Candidates are allowed to register anywhere in the country and choose any town nationwide as their examination location.”

He further explained that Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres are organized by towns for ease of access. Once a candidate selects a specific town—say, Garki—as their examination location, they will be assigned to a CBT centre within that town. However, contrary to the misinformation, this town does not have to be in the same state as where the candidate registered.

“For example, a student can register in Lagos and opt to take the exam in Sokoto. There are no restrictions based on state boundaries,” Dr. Benjamin clarified.

JAMB reiterated that this nationwide flexibility is intended to ease the process for candidates and reduce logistical challenges. The Board is urging the public to disregard the erroneous NAN report and rely only on official JAMB communications for accurate information.

Bottom line: Candidates are not bound to their state of registration for UTME exams—they’re free to choose any town in Nigeria that works best for them.